CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

The bass throbbed through Crimson, vibrating up through the soles of my expensive leather boots. I barely registered it. The VIP section, draped in velvet and shimmering with strategically placed spotlights, offered a modicum of quiet, but even here, the relentless pulse of the music threatened to drown out thought.

I nursed a glass of something dark and potent, the sweetness doing little to soothe the turmoil roiling within me. I'd been back at Crimson since I'd fled Ellie's house. Sleep was impossible. Self-loathing, however, came easily.

"So, let me get this straight," Lucian drawled, his voice a low rumble that cut through the music. He, looked at me with an unnerving intensity. "You...lost control? With a human?"

Seraphine, perched gracefully on the edge of the plush banquette, her crimson dress a perfect match for the club's name, chuckled, a sound like wind chimes. "Kaelen, the stoic, the master of restraint, reduced to...nipping at thighs?"

I glared at them, the familiar sting of their teasing doing little to penetrate my guilt. "It wasn't just...nipping," I muttered, then regretted it immediately. I did not want to elaborate on the exquisite torture I'd subjected myself to all night.

Lucian's eyebrow arched. "Oh? Do tell. Was she particularly...succulent?"

"Enough, Lucian," Seraphine chided, though a hint of amusement still danced in her eyes. "Kaelen's clearly mortified. We don't need to rub it in." She turned to me, her expression softening slightly. "Is she...harmed?"

I shook my head, running a hand through my dark hair, the gesture unconsciously agitated. "No. Not...seriously. It was just...two puncture marks. Nothing more. But..." I trailed off, the image filling my mind: the creamy smoothness of her skin, the way she'd arched her back... I clenched my jaw.

"But the look on her face," I finished, admitting the crux of my torment. "The confusion... the hurt."

Lucian snorted. "Well, you did bite her without permission. That's generally frowned upon, even amongst...enthusiastic humans."

"It wasn't like that!" I snapped, instantly regretting my outburst. My patience was threadbare. "It wasn't deliberate! It was...a moment. A rush. I didn't even-" I stopped again, unable to articulate the primal surge that had overwhelmed me.

Seraphine reached out, her hand briefly touching my arm. "Kaelen, we understand. It happens. The Hunger can be...unpredictable. Especially after prolonged...abstinence." Her eyes flickered with knowing.

"Abstinence?" Lucian laughed. "Kaelen? Our renowned sensualist suddenly turned celibate?"

I ignored Lucian's barb. "It's not about abstinence," I said, my voice low and heavy. "It's about control. Or rather, the lack thereof. I can't be around her again. Not safely, at least."

"So, what's your plan?" Seraphine asked, her tone all business. "Erase her memory? Pay her off to stay away? Stage a... tragic accident?"

"None of those," I said, the idea repulsive. I couldn't bring myself to harm Ellie, not even to erase her memory. She was too pure, too full of life.

"I'm going to leave her alone. Completely. She doesn't need this, doesn't deserve to be dragged into our world."

Lucian scoffed. "That's admirable, Kaelen. But frankly, it's weak. You let a little nip throw you off course? You'd deny yourself this connection?"

"It's not weak, it s responsible!" I retorted, rising to my feet, the tension coiling within me tighter than before. "She's human, Lucian. She's vulnerable. And after what I did..."

"Then control yourself!" Lucian challenged, his eyes glinting with a predatory light. "It's what we do. What we have to do everyday of our existence. Do you need a lesson?"

I fought back the urge to lash out, to rip Lucian's throat for the insolence. But his words still stung. I should be able to control myself. The problem wasn't my inability, but my unwillingness where Ellie was concerned.

I took a deep breath. "She doesn't know what I am. And I intend to keep it that way."

Seraphine nodded slowly. "A noble sentiment, Kaelen. But a difficult path. Are you sure you can resist her?"

I looked out at the dance floor, a writhing mass of bodies bathed in strobe lights. I thought of Ellie, her bright smile, her playful touch, the way she'd looked at me with such innocent desire.

"No," I admitted quietly. "That's why I have to stay away. For her sake, not mine."

I downed the rest of my drink, the liquid doing nothing to quench the fire in my blood. I had to stay away. I would stay away. But the thought of never seeing her again was a slow, agonizing burn.

Seraphine placed a hand on my arm, her touch light and surprisingly comforting. "Kaelen, you're not alone in this. The pull... it can overcome even the strongest of us. But it doesn't have to define you. You have a choice. You are not a slave to the Hunger." Her voice was soft, a subtle inflection of concern that I rarely heard from her. "Give yourself some credit. Don't underestimate your own strength."

I appreciated her attempt at solace, but it felt hollow. This wasn't just about the Hunger; it was about the risk I posed to her, simply by existing.

Lucian, meanwhile, remained leaned back, a smirk playing on his lips. "Maybe your little human is stronger than you give her credit for, Kaelen. Maybe she's not as fragile as you seem to think." His eyes, however, weren't focused on me. They were fixed on something behind me, a predatory glint in their depths.

A chill ran down my spine. What was he looking at? I was about to turn around when it hit me – the scent. It was faint at first, but then it intensified, blossoming in the air, filling the entire VIP section and threatening to choke the scent of expensive perfume. Lilies. An overwhelming wave of lilies enveloped the room. Ellie.

Just then I glanced at Seraphine and realized she was looking behind me as well with a light smile on her face. My gut clenched. This wasn't good. Was I compromised? I slowly began to turn around bracing myself for the worst. And there she was, Ellie, standing a few feet behind me, her face pale, her eyes wide and unreadable. She had likely overheard the entire conversation. My world tilted on its axis.